HONG KONG – Singer-actress Linda Chung made a rare Hong Kong appearance over the weekend, performing at a charity basketball event in Wan Chai, but the visit has been overshadowed by a social media firestorm over a recent on-stage blessing she gave to concertgoers.
Chung, 40, attended the “Heritage Charity Celebrity Basketball Carnival” on Saturday night as a guest performer. She is in town for a 13-day trip, during which she has already arranged to catch up with actor Bosco Wong over dinner. Her husband remains in Canada caring for their children.
The controversy stems from a concert earlier this year, when Chung told the audience that “busyness is proof of being alive” and offered the Chinese character mang (忙, meaning “busy”) as a blessing. Many netizens slammed the remark as out of touch, with some calling it a “curse” in a city where long working hours and economic pressure are already the norm.
Speaking to reporters at the event, Chung said she found the backlash “very funny.”
“I was sincerely sending positive energy,” she explained. “It was a blessing from my heart. If it made some people uncomfortable, I’m sorry. But I think waking up every day is not guaranteed. Being busy is a blessing. People should just laugh it off.”
Chung noted that the incident had sparked an unexpected trend: businesses and influencers began offering other characters such as feng (丰, “abundance”) and mi (米, “rice”) as blessings. “Sometimes life is funny like that. I never thought my blessing would become a trend. As long as people are happy, it’s fine.”
She added that over two years of touring, she had given out many characters — including fu (福, “blessing”), ai (爱, “love”), and le (乐, “joy”) — without controversy. This was the first time a character was misunderstood. “Everyone has their own perspective. I just wanted to express my feelings.”
When asked about another recent celebrity parenting controversy — actress Grace Chan being criticized for bringing young children to a cinema where they were noisy — Chung said she had not experienced that situation. “If my child were making noise, I would take them out of the theater immediately. Children under four don’t know what they’re doing. I’d only bring them to a movie after they’re four.”
The incident highlights a growing disconnect between Hong Kong celebrities and a public grappling with cost-of-living pressures, long work hours, and burnout. Social media commentators have often accused local stars of being out of touch, a criticism that Chung now hopes to defuse with humor.
For now, Chung said she plans to enjoy her short stay and is not discouraged by the controversy. “If everyone can smile about this, that’s enough for me.”